Tubular postal section



April 1, 1930.

TUBULAR POSTAL SECTION Filed Jan. 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l fi7(u Tw m 4. 541; Amarneya w. HOHNE 1,753,169

TUBULAR POSTAL SECTION Filed Jan. 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 1, 1 930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILHELM Bonus, on BERLIN-CHARLOTTE'NBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGN'OR 'ro nno'rscnn' 'rnnnrnonwnnxn om) KABELINDUSTRIE AKTIENG-ESELLSGHAFT, or BERLIN,

GERMANY TUBULAR POSTAL SECTION Application filed January 31, 1929, Serial No.

For the purpose of overcoming the difiiculties due to long sections of tubular postal systems a comparatively strong blower is necessary and in order to avoid the use of this a long section has been dividedinto partial sections each provided with its own blower whilst the container passing from one partial section to the other disengages one blower'and brings the other blower into operation. The

entire section in such an arrangement consists of a conveying pipe extending through the whole system in which there may be included a switch point of known construction for the purpose ofdeliveringat a partial sec tion.

An application for patent for this invention was filed inGermany on December. 11, 1925.

The subject of the present. invention isa long section of which the separate partial sections constitute an ordinary tubular postal system, as are usual for short distances, and which in this manner are also capable of being used separately.

The partial sections for this purpose are not connected together at the points of intel-connection, but at the division points, which at the same time are the delivery points, are provided solely with the connections for the blower appertaining to the partial section in question.

In order that a container may pass auto.- matically from one partial section into the next the receiver of the incomingpartial section is so arranged relatively'to the transmitter of the outgoing section that the container passes from the receiver into the transmitter, which automatically conveys it further, by falling lireely or passing over.

By this arrangement of the known flying or passing over of the container the distant tubular postal'section is rendered freeof any complications which are caused in the case of. a continuous conveying tube by reason of the necessary closing slides, their driving means and the necessary conveying tube contacts.

For the purpose of delivering container at a division point aswitch point is, provided either at the receiver or better still, by reason of the shorterlengthof construction, at the the well known usual manner.

is indicated in dottedlines pass point.

336,538, andfin Germany December 11,1925.

transmitter which is preferably controlled byelectromagnetic distant control.

In view of the'foregoing the partial sections by: reason of the condition of their operation' and their construction are independent of one another and may, therefore, as hereinbeforev described, be operated separately. in Theyare also capablev of being. constructed substantially from. the well known usual parts. 3

Two. forms of construction are;il lustrat ed diagrammatically in the accompanying draw- 1ngs. y p y I c Fig. l is a diagrammatic view ofone form of the device. I Fig.2 is a diagrammaticview of amodified formof the invention. Q

Figurel shows three division points of a long sectionwhjich is operated throughout suction air.) A container introducedat S is conveyed by suction, air (blower connectionatv through the conveyingpipe F to the first division point T there opens fiapK of the re ceiver E and falls intothe collecting funnel A of the transmitter 5 0f which the switch pointW has been set in the position for pass ing through. The container falling vertical- 1y, down the conveyor tube actuates contact K andin this manner sets in operation the blower of the next partial section T (blower connection at V Thehcontainer continues its passagethrough the tube F and passes 1n the manner described also through'the succeedingdivision points T T and soon.

The delivery position ofthe switch tongue at the division point T?. The switch point is actuated by the electro-magnet E M 'and is brought into the position shown when-the containers do not into thev conveying tube F but are to be delivered at the division point T The electro-magnets may be controlled by a number of switches M mounted on a switch board at the beginning of the first S9Cl31011501 at some other convenient point. In this way all the switch points may be controlled from a: single from the receiver E into the collecting funnel A? is; conducted by the set switch tongue into The incoming container which passes permits of a constructlon.

meansat the "points of division of the delivery tube L into the collecting basket.

In Figure 2 are illustrated three division points of a long section which are operated throughout by compressed air. The container introduced at S is forced by compressed air (blower connection at D through the conveying tube F to the division point T and passes, by opening the flap K, from the receiver E of this division into the collecting funnelA The switch point W of this transmitter is set in the position for through passage so that the container falling into the conveyingtube passes through the sluice flaps S S 70 strikes against the contact 70 and thus sets in operationthe blower D of the next partial section F The container passes through the conveying tube F and in the manner described the division points T T and so on. At the division point T the switch point is again shown in the delivery position so as to efi'ect the discharge of the container.

The partial sections both in Figure l and in Figure 2, can be actuated separately and With a suitable device in both directions. At the division point-T is illustrated by way of example an air reversing device U which enables the conveying tube F to be connected to a vacuum blower V so as to receive a container from the division point T The container at the point T after opening the flap K, is inserted from the bottom into the receiver E and sucked by the .Vacuum to T where, by reason of its kinetic energy,after the vacuum has been cut 011? and the sluice flaps S k S 70 have been opened by a contact switch 70 it rises in the vertical end of the conveying tube to beyond the switch point W and falling back, after setting the switch point also automatically, through the discharge tube L It would also be possible, for conveying the container from T to T to supply compressed air at E to the convey'ng tube F ,-which in the case of Figure 1 would be the medium under consideration. The separate operationof the section in the from which it passes direction from left to right solely requires the introduction of the container by hand into the collecting funnel A of the transmitter, but instead of this it'is also possible, as indicated in Figure l to provide a separate dispatching chamber G.

.F or delivering a container at a divisionpoint it is also possible in a general manner to provide'a switch, similar to that illustrated, at the receiver E instead ofat the transmitter, but the provision at the transmitter more convenient and shorter I claimrz 1. A tubular despatch system comprising a plurality 01" separate sections, separate the secof the transmitter S of Figure 2 there into the collecting basket.

tions for supplying actuating fluid to each of said sections, the adjacent ends of said sections being so arranged that a carrier moves from onesection into the succeeding section in one direction under the force of inertia alone, and switches at the division points of said sections for deflecting a carrier from said sections, said switches being located in said sections adjacent the admission ends thereof. j b V 2. Adevice according to claim '1 having means for. transmitting a carrier through each of saidsections separately in a reverse direction, said switche being adapted to deflect from said sections said carriers when moving in a reverse direction. v

3. A tubular despatch system comprising a plurality of sections of conveying tubes, and a plurality of means for supplying an actuating fluid above atmospheric pressure, one for each section, the adjacent ends of the separate sections being spaced and in alignment so as to permit a container placed into one section to be passed through the succeeding sections, and means for applying suctionto each of said sections.

i. A tubular despatch system comprising a plurality of sections of conveying tubes, and a plurality of means forsupplying an actuating fluid, one for each section, the adjacent ends of the separate sections being in alignment so as to permit .a container placed into one section to be passed through the succeeding sections, and means for applying suction to each of said sections, and valves for controlling the supplyvof actuating fluid and the application of suction tot-he various sections so that the separate sections may be used in one direction for conveying by fluid under pressure and in the other direction for conveying by suction.

5. A tubular despatch system comprising a plurality of sections of conveying tubes, and a plurality of means for supplying an actuating fluid,'one for each section, the adjacent ends of the separate sections being in alignment so as to permit a container placed into one section to be passed through the succeeding sections, each of said sections being provided at one end and at the other end with a receiving member, each of the despatching members, with the exception of that of the first section, being provided with a switch device whereby the containersmay be discharged from saiddespatching member, each of saidsections be- -ing provided with achar'ging device.

6. In a tubular: despatch system, a plurality of sectionsof'conveying tubes, means for supplying an actuating tions, theadjacent ends of successive sections being in alignment, means for applying suction to each of said sections to move a carrier in one direction, means for applying pressure for moving a carrier in the opposite. direction with a despatching member fluid to each of said secthrough a plurality of said sections, and means adjacent one end of some of said sections for deflecting a carrier from said sections.

7. In a tubular despatch system, of sections of conveying tubes, supplying fluid under pressure to each of said sections, the adjacent ends of successive sections being in alignment-,whereby a carrier placed in one section will pass through succeeding sections under air pressure, means for applying a vacuum to each of said sec tions so as to move a carrier in the opposite direction through one of said sections,and means in some of said sections for deflecting a carrier from said section.

8. In a tubular desp atch system, a plurality of sections of conveying tubes, the adjacent ends of successive sections being in alignment,

a plurality means for means for transmitting a carrier from one section through succeeding sections in one direction, means for transmitting a carrier through some of said sections in the opposite direction, and means in some of said sections for deflecting a carrier from said section.

9. In a tubular depatch system, of sect-ions of conveying tubes, means for transmitting acarrier in either direction through each of said sections, the adjacent ends of successive sections being in alignment, whereby a carrier may pass from one section to succeeding sections in one direction, means adjacent one end of some of said sections for deflecting a carrier from said sections, and means operable from a single point for controlling said deflecting means.

10. In a tubular despatch system, a plurality of sections of conveying tubes, the adjacent ends of successive tubes being in alignment, means for transmitting a carrier from one section through successive sections in one direction, means for transmitting a carrier through each of said sections in the opposite direction, and means adjacent one end of some of said sections for deflecting a carrier from said sections, means whereby a carrier moving in said second named direction automatically operates said deflecting means to deflect the carrier from the sections, and means operable from a single point for arbitrarily controlling said deflecting means to deflect from said sections a carrier moving in said first-named direction.

11. In a tubular despatch system, a plurality of sections of conveying tubes, means for transmitting a carrier through said sections successively in one direction and means for transmitting a carrier through some of said sections singly in the opposite direction.

12. In a tubular despatch system, a conveying tube, the receiving end of said conveying tube extending substantially vertically upward, means in the upwardly extending portion of said tube but spaced from the top thereof for exhausting air from said tube, a

direction,

a plurality discharge tube associated" with. said receiving end and-extending substantially downward from said "receiving'end, a switch adapted to deflect a carrier moving downwardly in said end into said discharge tube, movin said switch to operative position when a carrier reaches a point in said end above said switch, whereby a carrier moves through the last portion of said-conveying tube by momentum alone and falls from said discharge tube underthe influence of gravity alone. V

18. In a tubular despatch system, a plurality of sections of conveying tubes, the adjacent ends of successive tubes being in alignment, means for transmitting a carrier from one section through successive sections in one direction, means for transmitting a carrier through each of said sections in the opposite and means adjacent one end of some of said sections for deflecting a carrier from said sections, means whereby a carrier movin in said second named direction automatically operates said deflecting means to deflect the carrier from the sections.

14. In a pneumatic tube conveying system for long distances,a plurality of sections of conveying tube, means for supplying driving air to each of said sections, the adjacent ends of successive sections being spaced from one another by an air-gap and being in alignment so that a carrier may pass from the discharging end of one section to the receiving end of the next section, and switches arranged in the receiving end of each tube-section for deflecting the carrier from this tube-section.

15. In a pneumatic tube conveying system for long distances, a plurality of sections of conveying tube, means for supplying driving air .to each of said sections, the adjacent ends of successive sections being spaced from one another by an air-gap and being in alignment so that a carrier may pass from the discharging end of one section to the receiving end of the next section, these adjacent ends being arranged vertically, and switches arranged underneath the receiving end of each tubesec-- tion for deflecting the carrier from this tubesection.

16. In a pneumatic tube conveying systemfor long distances, a plurality of sections of conveying tube, means for supplying driving airto each of said sections, the adjacent ends of successive sections being spaced from one another by an air-gap and being in alignment so that a carrier may pass from the discharging end of one section to the receiving end of the next section, switches arranged in the receiving end of each tube-section for deflecting the carrier from this tube-section, and a despatching member at the receiving end of each section, this member being arranged above the said deflecting switch.

17. A tubular despatch system, comprising a plurality ofsections of conveying tubes,

and means for means for supplying fluid at above atmospheric pressure to each of said sections to move a carrier therethrough in one direction, the ends of successive sections being in alignment whereby a carrier placed in one section will pass through succeeding sections, and means forapplying suction to each of said sections to move a carrier therethrough in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILHELM HOHN 

